Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Government Departments: Flags

Lord Roberts of Llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government, following the publication of guidance that requires the Union flag to be flown all year round on UK Government buildings, what plans they have to require UK Government buildings in Wales to also fly the flag of Wales.

Baroness Barran: Currently, Union flags are only required to be flown on all UK Government buildings on designated days. The new guidance asks for the flag to be flown all year round, unless another flag is being flown – such as another national flag of the UK, or a county flag, or other flags to mark civic pride. The UK Government would very much encourage flying the Flag of Wales alongside the Union Flag, where there are two flagpoles. In England, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government will be amending planning rules to allow for two flags to be flown from one flagpole. We would very much encourage the Welsh Government to make a similar liberalisation to planning rules in Wales, to help champion the shared identities that unite our country.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Swimming Pools

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the findings of the study undertaken by Imperial College London and Water Babies, reported on 12 April, which found that swimming pool water can inactivate the COVID-19 virus in 30 seconds in the right conditions.

Lord Bethell: Public Health England has not made an assessment.

Brain: Tumours

Baroness Jay of Paddington: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the response byLord Bethell on 19 January (HL Deb, cols 1080–4),what progress they have made towards developing research projects on brain tumours, and in particular on young people with brain tumours.

Lord Bethell: As part of the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission, the National Institute for Healthcare Research has received 69 applications, 10 of which have been funded and a further seven are under consideration. One of the funded applications is focused solely on children and others include young people.

NHS: Prescription Drugs

Lord Lucas: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to require NHS doctors, when prescribing a treatment off-label, to encourage patients to allow their data to be used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment; what plans they have to provide mechanisms whereby (1) consent and refusal may be easily recorded, and (2) relevant data may be made available for academic evaluation; and what plans they have to review such evaluations in order to reduce the percentage of off-label prescribing.

Lord Bethell: The Government has no plans to do so. However, the Department with NHS England and NHS Improvement, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, the National Institute of Health and Care Excellence, the National Institute of Health Research recently launched a repurposing medicines programme which aims to strengthen the evidence base, licensing, supply and cost effectiveness of medicines being used outside their original medical indication. The aim is to improve clinical outcomes and patient experience by taking action to enable more equitable access to those medicines prioritised for adoption into the programme.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Scott of Needham Market: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they expect general practitioners to use their clinical judgement in including patients with existing diseases in Group 6 for COVID-19 vaccinations if they consider them to be at risk of exacerbation of their underlying disease should they become infected with COVID-19.

Lord Bethell: Clinicians, including general practitioners (GPs) are able to use their clinical judgement to categorise patients as clinically extremely vulnerable (CEV) because they consider them to be at very high risk of serious illness from COVID-19. Those categorised as CEV are in priority group four of phase one of the vaccination programme. Those who are not categorised as CEV but have underlying conditions that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) advises have increased clinical risk from COVID-19 are in priority group six. Within the broad set of clinical conditions within priority group six, GPs and other clinicians are able to add individuals to this group. They are able to use clinical judgement to take into account the risk of COVID-19 exacerbating any underlying disease that a patient may have, as well as the risk of serious illness from the virus itself.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to address the efficacy of the 12 week gap between doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for blood cancer patients, and (2) to protect such patients who have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from exposure to COVID-19.

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking (1) to reduce the gap between doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for cancer patients, and (2) to protect such patients who have received one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from exposure to COVID-19.

Lord Bethell: To optimise the period between doses of the COVID-19 vaccine for all cancer patients, the timing of second dose administration can be varied on clinical advice according to the patient’s individual situation. For immunosuppressed cancer patients, the second dose can be given at different timescales to the 12 weeks routinely in place for most people.Cancer patients undergoing immunosuppressive therapies, where clinically appropriate, should receive their vaccine doses at least two weeks prior to commencing therapy when their immune system is better able to respond. To maximise vaccine efficacy this may entail offering the second dose between the recommended minimum for that vaccine - three or four weeks after first dose - and the recommended maximum of 12 weeks. Although shielding has been paused, current guidance for clinically extremely vulnerable people including immunosuppressed cancer patients advises them to follow the rules and guidance that are in place for the wider population.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has (1) been sent, and (2) discussed, the peer-reviewed Sars CoV-2 for cancer patients (SOAP) study on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for cancer patients.

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Sars CoV-2 for cancer patients (SOAP) study on the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines for cancer patients, what plans the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation has (1) to change, and (2) to apologise for, its statements about (a) the scientific efficacy of the size of study, (b) that study's evaluation of T Cell responses, and (c) that study's lack of consistency of immunological markers, and its conclusion that the study provides no data of relevance for policy recommendations to be made.

Lord Bethell: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) was sent the pre-print article on 15 March 2021, which was discussed at its meeting on 16 March 2021. The minutes of the meeting will be published in due course.The JCVI has not made any public statements on this study. JCVI has reassured the public that lower immune responses following vaccination do not necessarily infer weaker or absent protection against disease.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what advice they have made available to those who do not receive an appointment for a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine within 12 weeks of receiving a first dose.

Lord Bethell: In some exceptional circumstances, people may not receive their invitation for their second dose, for example if they had their first dose overseas or they have changed their address between doses. If a full 11 weeks has passed since the first dose and a second appointment has not been offered, they should contact the national booking system online or by calling 119.

Coronavirus: Disease Control

Lord Truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to mitigate the risk of COVID-19 transmission at (1) vaccination centres, and (2) associated transport hubs.

Lord Bethell: NHS England and NHS Improvement have stated that vaccination sites should be administering the vaccine in line with best infection prevention and control procedures, including social distancing, ventilation and wearing masks. Large scale centres should have an environmental risk assessment in place which is expected to cover requirements for ventilation in a pandemic when transmission and virus shedding is a significant concern. A copy of NHS England and NHS Improvement’s guidance COVID-19 Vaccination Centres: Operating Framework. Information and guidance on operating Vaccination Centres is attached.The Department for Transport has produced guidance for transport operators to help them keep transport settings safe and reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission. This includes regular disinfecting and thorough cleaning of transportation, ensuring availability of hand sanitiser and enabling social distancing at transport hubs. A copy of Coronavirus: Safer transport guidance for operators is attached.COVID-19 Vaccination Centres: Operating Framework (pdf, 629.9KB)COVID 19: Safer Transport Guidance for Operators (pdf, 345.1KB)

Abortion: Telemedicine

Baroness Stroud: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe ability to screen for ectopic pregnancies via telemedicine abortion services.

Lord Bethell: No assessment has been made. The Department does not set clinical practice. The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists has issued clinical guidelines Coronavirus (COVID-19) infection and abortion care: Information for healthcare professionals. A copy is attached. The guidance sets out that taking a history and a symptom-based approach, with an ultrasound if indicated, is consistent with the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence’s guidance on the diagnosis and management of ectopic pregnancy. The Royal College’s guidance includes a decision aid for clinicians to use to help determine if an ultra-sound scan is required.COVID-19 Infection and Abortion Care (pdf, 338.8KB)

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to ensure that those who have received a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine receive the second dose within 12 weeks.

Lord Bethell: To ensure the dosing schedule is maintained, vaccine supplies have already been set aside to ensure that everyone who has already received their first dose will receive their second dose within 12 weeks of their first. There are currently no delays in the administration of the second dose of the vaccine.The National Immunisation Management System (NIMS) is the centralised service for the management of both the COVID-19 and seasonal flu vaccination programmes established by NHS England. If an individual is invited for a COVID-19 vaccination via a general practitioner (GP) this information is entered onto to the patients’ GP record after vaccination and on the NIMS. A second vaccination appointment can then be offered to the patient in the following 12-week period. Where a patient has been invited to book their own appointment, they will also be required to book their second appointment 11 to 12 weeks after the first.

Travel: Quarantine

Lord Lee of Trafford: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatestimate they havemade of the number of visitors to the UK who are currently quarantined in a managed quarantine hotel.

Lord Bethell: We currently have capacity in United Kingdom quarantine hotels for 4,778 guests and this will be kept under review. From 15 February to 7 April 2021, the number people who have been in Government-approved hotel quarantine is 12,372. This figure is subject to daily fluctuations.

Travel Restrictions: Coronavirus

Lord Wasserman: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether children under the age of 11 are permitted (1) to move between households to visit their parents, and (2) to attend school, within 10 days of arriving in England from any country not included among the COVID-19 'red list' countries from which entry to the UK is banned.

Lord Bethell: Children are not permitted to move between households to visit parents or attend school within the quarantine period. When someone arrives in England, they must travel directly to the place they are staying and not leave until 10 days have passed. It is the responsibility of the person who has custody or charge of the child to ensure they comply with the regulations.

Coronavirus: Screening

Lord Balfe: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the (1) accuracy, and (2) usefulness, of lateral flow tests, following reports that the rate of false positives returned by these tests has increased asthe prevalence of COVID-19 has fallen.

Lord Bethell: New analysis of community testing data shows lateral flow device (LFD) tests to have a specificity of at least 99.9%. For every 1,000 LFD tests carried out, there is less than one false positive result. Rapid testing using LFDs detects cases quickly in under 30 minutes, meaning positive cases can isolate immediately, breaking chains of transmission.

Department of Health and Social Care: Conservative Party

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many meetings Ministers in the Department of Health and Social Care have hadsince March 2020 with (1) individuals, or (2) representatives of companies, that have made donations to the Conservative Party; and what the purpose of any such meeting was.

Lord Bethell: The information is not held in the format requested and could only be obtained at disproportionate cost.

Surgery

The Lord Bishop of London: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the breakdown by (1) protected characteristic, and (2)socio-economic background, of the patients who choose to opt out of surgery following the waiting list validation process.

Lord Bethell: No formal assessment has been made. Data on protected characteristics and socio-economic background is not collected centrally.

Diabetes: Health Services

Lord Hay of Ballyore: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much was spent on diabetes services in England in 2019/20.

Lord Bethell: Information on total diabetes spend is not collected or held centrally as most services for people living with diabetes is commissioned locally.To date NHS England has invested approximately £120 million of transformation funding into local services to target variation and improve performance in the treatment and care of people living with diabetes since 2017/18.

Brain Cancer: Research

The Lord Bishop of Carlisle: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will allocate the remainder of the £40 million pledged to brain cancer research announced in May 2018.

Lord Bethell: We are unable to specify an exact date when the remainder of the £40 million will be allocated, as we are relying on researchers to submit high-quality research proposals in this very difficult area. However, we are working to improve the number and quality of applications by working with the Tessa Jowell Brain Cancer Mission towards funding workshops for previously unsuccessful researchers to support them in submitting higher quality research applications.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assurances AstraZeneca gave about its commitment to manufacture the Oxford vaccine prior to either (1) a successful testing programme, or (2) approval by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency.

Lord Bethell: Assurances agreed between the Government and Oxford/AstraZeneca are bound by commercially confidential contracts.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) the efficiency of the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations in each region of England, and (2) how that compares with the roll-out of such vaccinations in (a) Northern Ireland, (b) Scotland, and (c) Wales.

Lord Bethell: Each region within England and each of the devolved administrations have different population levels, clinical needs and logistical challenges to meet when deploying COVID-19 vaccines. The Government assesses the efficiency of the programme against these and other factors.The Government works with the devolved administrations to ensure the vaccine programme is rolled out as quickly and efficiently as possible in each region. Allocation of vaccines is based upon the Barnett Formula. This ensures that all of the United Kingdom receives a fair share of vaccines. Approximately 27.1 million people in England, 838,000 in Northern Ireland, 2.6 million people in Scotland and 1.6 million in Wales have now received their first dose.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to lift the embargo on sharing local COVID-19 vaccination uptake data (1) by priority group, and (2) by ethnic group, with primary care networks and clinical commissioning groups; and what assessment they have made of whether sharing this data would increase the effectiveness of local vaccination efforts.

Lord Bethell: There is no embargo on sharing local COVID-19 vaccination data. This data is published weekly online by NHS England and NHS Improvement.We are also collecting and monitoring uptake data to drive and improve the national deployment plan, as well as sharing data to support local uptake action and decision-making.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Young of Old Scone: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to provide as much detail as possible on (1) those who have refused COVID-19 vaccination, and (2) those who have not responded to invitations for COVID-19 vaccination, (a) to local public health directors and their staff, and (b) to local primary care networks and clinical commissioning groups; if they plan to provide such information, when they will do so; and what assessment they have made of the potential to use such information to undertake local COVID-19 tracing and vaccine promotion with these groups.

Lord Bethell: There are currently no specific plans to collect data on vaccination refusal or non-respondence. NHS England and NHS Improvement publish daily, weekly and monthly data on the progress of the vaccination programme across England.At a local level, local authority directors of public health receive daily updates on vaccine uptake in their areas, by Middle Layer Super Output Area and key subgroups including by gender and ethnicity. Directors of Public Health are provided with this information to support local delivery approaches and improve uptake across all communities.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what action they are taking to promote take-up of COVID-19 vaccines amongst black and other ethnic minority communities.

Lord Bethell: We frequently engage with local authorities, faith leaders and black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) organisations to provide advice and information about COVID-19 vaccines and how they will be made available. Our communications include targeted information and advice via TV, radio and social media. This has been translated into 13 languages. Print and online material, including interviews and practical advice has appeared in hundreds of national, local and specialist titles including BAME media outlets. In addition, since February a number of mosques and other places of worship have been hosting pop-up COVID-19 vaccination centres.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government why only 975 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine are scheduled for delivery to Newbury Racecourse; and what plans they have to increase the number of such doses (1) delivered to, and (2) administered at, Newbury Racecourse.

Lord Bethell: No specific assessment on the delivery of COVID-19 vaccine to Newbury Racecourse has been made.Each Primary Care Network receives their own supply and work has been carried out with local clinical commissioning group colleagues to ensure that vaccine supply aligns with the number of registered patients in the priority cohort groups. NHS England and NHS Improvement are working with vaccination sites across the country to ensure that supplies are replenished as required to ensure an adequate and consistent supply of vaccine.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of concerns raised by recipients of the first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine about the Government's decision to extend the time between the administration of the first and second doses of the vaccine; what steps they are taking to assure recipients of the first dose of its efficacy; and what plans they have to publish guidance about the efficacy level of a single dose.

Lord Bethell: Public confidence in the vaccine programme is of paramount importance. The Government will continue to provide clear and regular updates to the public on progress and the impact of the programme, including publishing evidence on the effectiveness of the vaccines and data on adverse reactions to the vaccines.Public Health England (PHE) has been monitoring the effectiveness of the vaccines, including the effects of dosage schedules. NHS England regularly publishes guidance and runs public information campaigns on the vaccines, to ensure the public is fully aware and informed. Data from PHE’s SIREN study shows that both available vaccines, Pfizer/BioNTech and Oxford/AstraZeneca, provide high protection against COVID-19 infections after a single dose, beyond 56 days of having been vaccinated. A copy of Public Health England’s Annex A: Report to JCVI on estimated efficacy of a single dose of Pfizer BioNTech (BNT162b2 mRNA) vaccine and of a single dose of ChAdOx1 vaccine (AZD1222) is attached.Annex A: Report to JCVI on estimated efficacy  (pdf, 281.4KB)

Blood Cancer: Coronavirus

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of(1) the risks to, and (2) the most effective treatment and vaccination options for, blood cancer patients in relation to COVID-19; and what discussions they have had with health agencies on this subject.

Lord Bethell: Patients with blood cancer are included in the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s priority group four, for individuals who are clinically extremely vulnerable to COVID-19. Patients with blood cancer outside of these diagnoses would be included in priority group six for at-risk groups.Vaccination of patients undergoing treatment for cancer will be carefully considered by clinicians. The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) has published COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing COVID-19 on cancer treatments during the COVID-19 pandemic. A copy is attached. Public Health England (PHE) continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 vaccines on a broad range of outcomes including symptomatic disease, infection and hospitalisations. NICE and PHE continue to advise the Government on these guidelines, which are reviewed and updated regularly.COVID-19 rapid guideline: managing COVID-19 (pdf, 94.3KB)

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that homeless people without access to GP services receivea COVID-19 vaccine.

Lord Bethell: The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) recognises that many people who are homeless or sleeping rough are likely to have underlying health conditions which would place them in priority group six. These conditions are likely to be under-diagnosed or not properly reflected in general practitioner (GP) records. The JCVI has advised that homeless people without access to GP services should be offered the vaccine without the need for a National Health Service number or GP registration.There is work being undertaken to update our operational guidance on reaching rough sleepers and homeless people based on this recent JCVI advice. The Ministry for Housing, Communities and Local Government are working closely with NHS England and NHS Improvement to support outreach, and further work is being done to explore the availability of effective on-street models which could be used to support this work. Local teams are now prioritising all homeless people for vaccination alongside priority group six.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many people in total were vaccinated against COVID-19 in the UK using (1) the Oxford/AstraZeneca, and (2) the Pfizer/BioNTech, vaccine in each week since the beginning of 1 December 2020.

Lord Bethell: The information is not collected in the format requested.

NHS: Waiting Lists

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the NHS referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times dataJanuary 2021, published on 11 March, how many patients in England have been waiting more than one yearfor treatment; and how many of those have been waiting for (1) 52 to 56, (2) 57 to 60, (3) 61 to 64, (4) 65 to 68, (5) 69 to 72, (6) 73 to 76, (7) 77 to 80, (8) 81 to 84, (9) 85 to 88, (10) 89 to 92, (11) 93 to 96, (12) 97 to 100, (13) 101 to 104, and (14) 105 and more, weeks.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the NHS referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times dataJanuary 2021, published on 11 March, how many patients in each sustainability and transformation partnership and integrated care system area have been waiting more than one year for treatment; and how many of those have been waiting for (1) 52 to 56, (2) 57 to 60, (3) 61 to 64, (4) 65 to 68, (5) 69 to 72, (6) 73 to 76, (7) 77 to 80, (8) 81 to 84, (9) 85 to 88, (10) 89 to 92, (11) 93 to 96, (12) 97 to 100, (13) 101 to 104, and (14) 105 and more, weeks.

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the NHS referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times dataJanuary 2021, published on 11 March, how many patients in each acute trust in England have been waiting more than one year for treatment; and how many of those have been waiting for (1) 52 to 56, (2) 57 to 60, (3) 61 to 64, (4) 65 to 68, (5) 69 to 72, (6) 73 to 76, (7) 77 to 80, (8) 81 to 84, (9) 85 to 88, (10) 89 to 92, (11) 93 to 96, (12) 97 to 100, (13) 101 to 104, and (14) 105 and more, weeks.

Lord Bethell: Official statistics on National Health Service referral to treatment (RTT) waiting times published by NHS England and NHS Improvement show there were 304,044 patients waiting one year or more for treatment in England in January 2021. Tables showing the number of patients in each sustainability and transformation partnership and acute trust who have waited in excess of 52 weeks is attached due to the size of the data. Information for integrated care system areas is not held in the format requested. The information relating to other time periods is not held in the format requested.NHS England and NHS Improvement will be including this data as part of their official published RTT monthly data collection for 2021-22. This will show the number of patientswaiting for over a year into weekly time bands, from 52-53 weeks to more than 104 weeks. This information will become available from June 2021.Number of patient waiting in excess of 52 weeks (xlsx, 24.7KB)

Cabinet Office

10 Downing Street

Baroness Jenkin of Kennington: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was the outturn spending from the public purse on the Prime Ministerial residence in Downing Street in each financial year since 1997 for which records are held.

Lord True: The Downing Street complex is a working building, as well as containing two Ministerial residences. As has always been the case, refurbishments and maintenance are made periodically. The Government is legally required to maintain the Downing Street buildings to the high standards appropriate to its Grade 1 and 2 listed status in consultation with Historic England. The listed status, as well as security and other relevant factors, significantly add to the cost of maintenance and repairs, compared to normal properties. Across successive governments, Prime Ministers have received an annual allowance of up to £30,000 a year from the public purse to contribute towards the costs associated with maintaining and furnishing of the residency within the Downing Street estate. Such works contribute to assets owned and held by the nation for use by Ministers, including for example for hosting official guests. Figures for outturn spending from that allowance on the No 11 flat (the residence of the Prime Minister since 1997) are as follows. To assist public scrutiny, they are presented in cash terms at the time of the payments, and in real terms (equivalent costs today).  YearCash outturnReal terms*1997-98£16,471£25,2991998-99£48,336£73,0401999-00£32,189£48,4252000-01£37,501£55,4062001-02£32,945£47,9732002-03£32,707£46,5872003-04£21,094£29,4142004-05£14,012£18,9962005-06£35,293£46,6172006-07£14,832£19,0502007-08£28,150£35,1642008-09£27,083£32,9392009-10£29,389£35,1812010-11£30,000£35,2672011-12£13,335£15,4422012-13£0£02013-14£20,490£22,8402014-15£0£02015-16£29,106£31,7442016-17£19,400£20,6472017-18£0£02018-19£6,134£6,2702019-20£0£0*Using HMT figures for GDP deflator for 2019-20.Note: The annual allowance may be combined or spread to support works across financial years.Figures exclude essential works to make good the premises prior to occupation. No works took place in 2019-20 partly due to the general election and the covid pandemic. Audited figures of spending from the allowance for the 2020-21 financial year are not yet available; works have taken place by long-standing Downing Street contractors on painting, sanding and floorboards. Any costs of wider refurbishment in this year have been met by the Prime Minister personally. The Government has been considering the merits of whether works on parts or all of the Downing Street estate could be funded by a trust; this could mirror long-standing arrangements in place for Chequers (a private trust) or for Dorneywood (a charitable trust), reducing the need for subsidy from the public purse. Such matters are legally complex and policy development is ongoing. The Government engaged with the Leader of the Opposition’s Office on the proposals in July. Matters concerning works on the Downing Street estate, including the residences, will be covered in the Cabinet Office’s forthcoming annual report and audited accounts.

Northern Ireland Office

Terrorism: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatdiscussionsthey havehad with the Northern Ireland Executive about the financing of the victims' pension scheme.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland regularly meets with NI Executive Ministers about a range of issues, including funding for the Troubles Permanent Disablement Scheme. He met with Executive Ministers on 23 February and on 7 April about this specific issue, and he has written to the NI Executive offering access to NDNA funds that will help the Executive manage the cost of the scheme. The UK Government welcomes the undertaking given to the Court on 12 April that the Executive will make the necessary funding available to ensure eligible victims receive the payments to which they are legally entitled. There is nothing now standing in the way of the Executive delivering the scheme as set out in legislation, and we will continue to prioritise supporting the Executive’s delivery of this scheme.

British Irish Intergovernmental Conference

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government on what date they plan to hold the next British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The British-Irish Intergovernmental Conference is an important element of Strand Three of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, and stands to promote bilateral cooperation at all levels on all matters of mutual interest within the competence of the UK and Irish Governments. We will of course look for the appropriate time for the next BIIGC, especially in the context of strengthening the bilateral relationship between the UK and Ireland, now that we have left the EU.

Levelling Up Fund: Northern Ireland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on regional inequality of the funding for Northern Ireland provided through the Levelling Up Fund.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The UK Government is committed to levelling up across all parts of the United Kingdom to ensure that no community is left behind, particularly as we recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. The £4.8 billion Levelling Up Fund will invest in infrastructure that improves everyday life across the UK, including regenerating town centres and high streets, upgrading local transport, and investing in cultural and heritage assets. We are taking a different approach to delivering the Fund in Northern Ireland, which takes account of the different local government landscape compared to England, Scotland and Wales. By treating Northern Ireland as one geographical area, we will ensure all communities have equal access to apply for the Fund. For the first round of funding, at least 3% of total UK allocations will be set aside for Northern Ireland. The deadline to submit bids for the first round of the fund is noon on Friday 18 June 2021.

Belfast Agreement

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to review the implementation of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: This Government remains fully committed to the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement and ensuring that all obligations under it continue to be met. The Belfast/Good Friday Agreement provided a foundation for peace and a framework for prosperity for Northern Ireland. The 10th April marked 23 years since the signing of the Agreement. In that time there has been a transformative change in Northern Ireland where peace has brought stability and opportunities, and enabled Northern Ireland to develop into the vibrant place it is today.

Northern Ireland Government

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made on the New Decade, New Approach commitments, announced in January 2020.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The New Decade, New Approach deal reached in January 2020 includes a balanced package of commitments to deliver more transparent and sustainable institutions in Northern Ireland. The UK Government has already delivered a number of our key commitments including:The release of £556 million of the £2 billion of funding agreed in the deal;The appointment of a Veteran’s Commissioner in September 2020;The launch of the programme for the Centenary of Northern Ireland in 2021 and including 39 successful bids from the £1million Shared History Fund;The establishment of the governance structures that underpin New Decade, New Approach, namely the Joint Board and the Implementation Review Meetings.The UK Government works closely with Northern Ireland’s political leaders to support them in making the devolved institutions work and where appropriate, in delivering their commitments within NDNA.

Infrastructure: Northern Ireland

Lord Dodds of Duncairn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatdiscussionsthey havehad with the National Infrastructure Commission about infrastructure development in Northern Ireland.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Prime Minister announced the Union Connectivity Review on 3 October 2020. The review, which is chaired by Sir Peter Hendy CBE, aims to support the Government's work to build a stronger, fairer economy for the future by establishing how the quality and availability of transport infrastructures can support economic growth and quality of life across the whole of the UK. The review is considering transport connectivity between England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland via road, rail and air, and across the Irish Sea. Sir Peter Hendy is being supported by an advisory panel of experts, which includes a Commissioner for the National Infrastructure Commission. The terms of reference for the review also ask Sir Peter to consult widely with relevant government agencies, including the National Infrastructure Commission, alongside the devolved administrations, local authorities and their infrastructure commissions. The Union Connectivity Review interim report was published on 10 March 2021 and the final report will be published in the summer. The Government will carefully consider the report and recommendations.

Politics and Government: Northern Ireland

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the current political stability in Northern Ireland.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Covid pandemic has undeniably put new and difficult demands on the Northern Ireland Executive, as it has on political leaders everywhere. The UK Government commend those leaders working every day through very challenging circumstances, who continue to deliver for the people of Northern Ireland.The UK Government works closely with Northern Ireland’s political leaders to support them in making the devolved institutions work, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland has regularly been engaging with these political leaders over recent weeks during the period of unrest in Northern Ireland.The UK Government encourage the Northern Ireland Executive to continue to demonstrate their collaborative leadership in supporting law and order and policing. It is also vital that further engagement with all sides of the community continues to help prevent further disorder. The only way to resolve differences is through dialogue.